The Good Samaritan Helped His Jewish Enemy
Because He Was His Neighbor
The Jews and the Samaritans had a long-standing theological, racial, and territorial rivalry that dates back to almost 722 B.C. During this time, the Assyrian King Shalmaneser and his successor, King Sargon II, took a group of Israelites as captives, relocating them to Medeo-Persia. In turn, they brought back Medeo-Persian captives and settled them in Samaria. The Samaritans went on to construct their own Temple on Mount Gerizim and falsely claimed to have received their religious heritage directly from Moses. These actions further fueled competition, animosity, and hatred between the two peoples.